The National tribune., 1887-02-24

word, or 10 an expression, IS 10 OBTAIN, ana the
rule laid down by the Executive that pension
laws should be literally administered as meas
ures Of beneyolence in behalf Of worthy bene-
ficiaries may be a sound rule of construction;
but if il is, il is at least met by another rule OF
law. that statutes comforting new rights are TO
be strictly construed and especially is this true
where the statute is not IN aid of any contract,
express or implied, with the beneficiary named.
IL this bill did embrace all who are described
in the Presidents Interpretation Of il, this COM
mittoe would still favor its passage, for those
he describes are such as are, 10 say the least oil
IL, in a needy condition aud we ale not pre-
pared 90 refuse pension even TO them, If one
is needed 20 give a comfortable living
We regard the strained Interpretation put
upon the bill in the message as an excuse rather
than a reason for returning il 10 the House, ana
we believe we do no injustice 10 the Executive
when considering the whole message 10 say that
/ IL It's provisions had been palmer, and that no
/ question could have been raised as 10 whether III
/ included only those unable 10 labor, that ne
would have yet interposed objections. de
says:
IF none should be pensioned under this bill
except those utterly unable 10 labor am satis-
! fed that the cost stated would be many times
multiplied, and with q constant increase from
! year 10 year"
/ The cost referred to by him has just been
stated al 81, 767, l20 per annum, and the num-
| Der Of persons 20 be embraced in that estimate
] 80 l05 Aud again he says: Never before IN
the history Of the country has it been proposed
/ 10 render Government aid toward the support
of any Of its soldiers based alone upon mill
tary service so recent, and where age and cir
cumstances seem so little TO demand IT.
If the estimate referred 10 Is too small, so that
il would be multiplied many times, II can be SAID
I that the number of soldiers who could be reach
ed by this bill, who are totally unable to work,
4 gh..fr 1u1lN
forsupport is about 100000: for if our estimate
is multiplied by three, which certainly is not
too many, then the appalling fact IS reached
that so many Of the heroic men who have SUI
| fered for their country's sake are now abso-
lutely needy and totally unable to work.
This consideration causes us 90 stand more
| firmly for the proposition embodied in the sec
ond section Of the bill, because, conceding that
our estimate is too low, and that the number
utterly unable to work is larger than was here
tOfOre estimated, then there is that much
stronger reason for giving the relief; that many
more are TO be found OF (using the language OF
the President taken from his last annual mes
sage "those who have served their country
long and well and are reduced 10 restitution
and dependence, not as an incident OF their
service, but with advancing age through sick
ness or misfortune" And we have been
tempted by the contemplation Of such con-
ditiOn," and are yet tempted more strongly
when we consider the fact that we have not
fully realized the full extent of suffering now
being undergone by those heroes, to supply
relief aud If we were wrong IN our estimate
we submit that we are supplied now with a
stronger reason than ever before for the passage
of this bill Notwithstanding the objections OF
the Executive.
But il is urged that some unworthy ones
would be benefited by this bill. Possibly so
and SO under any general law, no matter how
you might attempt TO guard 1t, great abuses
might arise. As TO the length Of service, il il
contended that as only three months service is
required, some who had seen little, il any, field
service could take advantage of its provisions
Yet upon the other hand thousands and tens
Of thousands OF men who enlisted for only three
months saw some of the most arduous and dan
gerous service Of the entire war, and the injury
that results 10 one who quits the peaceful voca
ti0ns Of life to undergo The trying ordeal of an
active military service is most likely TO follow
from the earlier months of his service than
from period of his service later, when he has
become Injured 10 il.
The same process Of reasoning adopted by
the Executive in support of this objection
would have obtained against every general
statute that now gives pension or ever did
give one. More than all that, this bill is in.
tended to relieve those who cannot prove ;
pension claim under the present laws; mer
who saw field service and who made no hospital
records Those who made hospital records eau
now conveniently use them TO procure relief
They have no difficulty in going through the
Pension Office upon their hospital records, and
large share Of such soldiers are pensionel
while the man who was always in his place in
the ranks and can now show no disability by the
| records that was sufficient 10 keep him from
duty, but as old age comes on begins 10 feel the
strain put upon him by the fact that he wa
always ready TO report present for duty" d
left TO suffer, and for him we supply no relief
IL passes the comprehension OF this commit
tee 20 understand how the President coult
have overlooked in another bill what wa
alleged as faults in this bill The bill we refe
to passed the House on the same day this did
} and met with his unhesitating approval. Ii ]
the bill 10 give pensions 10 the survivors Of tn
5 war with Mexico, etc. Under that bill if on
who was a soldier in that war, and is now undo
62 years Of age, applies he must allege ant
: prove some degree of dependency, no mat
Z ter how slight, quite vague and indefinite, an
any degree of disability is sufficient, no matte
. how incurred, except in the military servic
0 against the United States; and no matter if h
, be worth millions he need only show 60 day.
0 service; lac need not have been ia actual en-
e gagement with the enemy, or subjected TO an
d Of the actual dangers Of war, or even that b
1 should have been in Mexico, or on the coast O
frontier thereof; IL is sufficient if he had bee
u en- route thereto; and it embraces within il
b provisions more persons than are TO be benz
d fitted by the bill now under consideration.
z IL grants the pension 10 every soldier over
r years OF age without any condition 10 his eli
) cumstances or necessities and without requil
ing any disability as the result OF service, eve
: though he be Member Of Congress drawing
d salary Of $4,000 per annum. 1t gives pensio
e TO every soldier under CD years for any disl
IS bility, even If the disability resulted since h
d service and from his own vicious habits or gro
e carelessness and for this he gets S., while III
IS Union soldier for the same disability receive
e in the line Of duty and while in the servi,
?, would get perhaps only So; and il gives pei
! sion 10 every widow of soldier in that WI
y who is now G2 years Of age. whether she WI
d the wife Of the soldier or not al the time Of h
service, without reference TO the cause OF il
q death, even If he was killed in battle viii
e serving IN the Confederate army.
y This committee would rejoice il there c0ul
9, even now be found some indefinite vaguene
Is or latent ambiguity in the Mexican pensiC
n law that would enable the President TO say th
n these results were not fOreseen by him whC
ID he was approving the one and contemplating
W veto Of the other
], The bin we presented 10 the House was brOa
J. liberal and patriotic. 1t struck down any di
ie barment from the pension list on account
E any service against the flag. excepting SUI
" pesr0ns as were labOrng under political dis
"a blities 1t was intended TO reach mainly Il
survivors Of our civil war who had fought {
lt the Union, but ii embraced within its genera
re terms the survivors Of the war OF 1872, Il
10 Indian wars, and the war with Mexico
NJ who could show that they were totally unat
In 10 labor and were dependent upon their dai